Hyperproliferative diseases like cancer and inflammation are receiving a lot of attention from the scientific community and there is a strong desire to discover compounds that provide therapeutic benefits with regard to treating hyperproliferative diseases. In this regard efforts have been made to identify and target specific mechanisms which play a role in proliferating the diseases.
One target of interest is the over-activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade which is known to play an important role in cell proliferation and differentiation. This pathway can be activated when a growth factor binds to its receptor tyrosine kinase. This interaction promotes RAS association with RAF and initiates a phosphorylation cascade through MEK (MAP kinase) to ERK. Inhibition of this pathway is known to be beneficial in treating hyperproliferative diseases. MEK is an attractive therapeutic target because the only known substrates for MEK phosphorylation are the MAP kinases, ERK1 and ERK2. Constitutive activation of MEK/ERK was been found in pancreatic, colon, lung, kidney and ovarian primary tumor samples.
Phosphorylation of MEK appears to increase its affinity and its catalytic activity toward ERK as well as is affinity for ATP. This invention describes compounds that inhibit MEK activity by modulation of ATP binding, association of MEK with ERK by mechanisms that are competitive, and/or allosteric and/or uncompetitive.
Activation of MEK has been demonstrated in many disease models thus suggesting that inhibition of MEK could have potential therapeutic benefit in various diseases such as Pain (see, e.g., Evidence of efficacy in pain models described in J. Neurosci. 22:478, 2002; Acta Pharmacol Sin. 26:789 2005; Expert Opin Ther Targets. 9:699, 2005; and Mol. Pain. 2:2, 2006): Stroke (see, e.g., Evidence of efficacy in stroke models significant neuroprotection against ischemic brain injury by inhibition of the MEK described in J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 304:172, 2003; and Brain Res. 996:55, 2004); Diabetes (see, e.g., Evidence in diabetic complications described in Am. J. Physiol. Renal. 286, F120 2004); Inflammation (see e.g., Evidence of efficacy in inflammation models described in Biochem Biophy. Res. Com. 268:647, 2000); and Arthritis (see, e.g., Evidence of efficacy in experimental osteoarthritis and arthritis as described in J. Clin. Invest. 116:163. 2006).
Although inhibition of MEK has been shown to have potential therapeutic benefit in several studies, there still remains a need to find compounds having commercial application.